Business vs Activists: who holds the power in Charlotte? | Hour 3

What's going on? Thank you so much for listening to this podcast. It is heard live every day from noon to three on WBT Radio in Charlotte. And if you want exclusive content like invitations to events, the weekly live stream I daily show prep with all the links, become a patron. Go to thepetecleanershow dot com. Make sure you hit the subscribe button. Get every episode for free, write to your smartphone or tablet, and again, thank you so much for your support. So I mentioned at the end of the last hour now that the Charlotte City Council has selected the interim mayor who will be mayor for eighteen months. Rob Harrington is his name, sixty three years old, a partner with the Robinson Bradshaw Law Firm, third largest law firm in Charlotte. There was an interesting piece at the Charlotte Observer the other day headlined Charlotte mayor finalists on who holds power in city hall? Activists business. So this was written before last night's selection of Harrington, and according to the vote Harrington led in the first round of balloting. He was the top voteiner at four votes, and then Kerry Cook came in second with three votes. So they went to the runoff and in the second round. We don't know what that final vote tally was, but Harrington got the six votes necessary. Which one of the two was going to get the six votes? We don't know if it was six' five seven to four eleven, Zero we just we don't. Know but it's interesting to go back and see this piece that was written before the. Selection Reporter Nick sullivan, writes The Charlotte City council narrowed its pool of interim mayor candidates to five. People whoever it selects will Enter charlotte politics at an inflection point in the relationship between business and resident. Interests according to some council and community, leaders votes that might have seemed outlandish one year ago are unfolding in real time despite lobbying from corporate. Leaders for, example the council rescinded support for the CONTROVERSIAL i seventy Seven South Toll lanes project that would have disrupted historically black. Neighborhoods it imposed a one hundred and fifty day moratorium on data centers to consider safeguards as more developers are looking to build, them and the council deferred a seemingly innocuous lease amendment for The bank Of America stadium over concerns that the agreement had not considered community. Benefits that did get approved last. Night by the, way this was the point two acres that used to be owned by NC doot that THE dot refused to turn it over or sell it to The city Of charlotte or To Tepper sports And entertainment as part of a larger you, know aggregation of land to build a, venue a performance, venue AND dot finally, said, okay you know, what we can't really use, this it's just like a parking, lot so. We'll give it. Up and last night there were all these comments about from well not all these com there was like two basically maybe three council members who were you, know raising questions quote unquote about the community benefit of a performance venue Because David tepper is a. Billionaire you, See, okay but is the venue just going. To be used By David, tepper like he's going to be the only one in like a four thousand seat, venue or is that performance space of benefit to the Entire charlotte. Community, now in the, past that answer was very. Obvious somebody's gonna build with their own. Money they're going to build a performance venue in the city Of. Charlotte would, say, yes we would like there to be more performance. Venues but, now what's the community. Benefit, WELL i mean aside from the ability to see, performances but that's a cultural. Benefit you get to see concerts OR i don't, know, YOU i don't know if there's gonna be theater or. Whatever but this was like for people who have been Around charlotte for a long enough period of, time you remember that the city was always trying to get more performance. VENUES i, Mean i'm talking back in the day Before David tepper brought music To, charlotte we. Didn't have any. Music it was like footloose, here you, KNOW i mean footloose Before kevin ba and showed up and. Danced so there is this activist wing. Right this is you, know THE Dssa Democratic socialist Of america kind of EITHER dsa actual OR dsa. Adjacent and by the, way they showed up last night to speak, too and they were criticizing The Democrat party over the selection of the new. Mayor there were you, know. Listen to the people or we will vote you. Out which man IF i had a IF i had a. DOLLAR i used to say a, nickel but, Inflation so IF i had a dollar for every TIME i heard those words at a public meeting like, this, city, county, schools, state, right people come down there like we'll vote you out and all this, stuff and like ninety nine percent of the time that does not, happen but they like, to you, know make these. Threats but it is indicative of the dssay's view on The Democrat. Party they don't like. You, DEMOCRATS i know you like are wanting, to you, know have them part of your, coalition to have them part of the fold because they're, young they're, hip and they're they got all this energy and that's the future of the. Party they can deliver some votes for. Us, yeah they don't like. You they don't Like republicans even. More but they don't like you. Either they're trying to take over your. Party they want you. Out they would rather you go and Be republicans because you're too close to. Business se because they're democratic socialists like you see the democratic. Part you think they're one of. You they're. Not they're. Not they're using your name in order to hide among you to make it more palatable For. Democrats to welcome them into their. Party but they are. Socialists that's that's. The, jam. Okay and so they went down there and they, threatened you, know we'll vote you out in all of, this which look they're going to do that, Anyway. Okay so that's to ignore, them and you should probably like ostracize them from inside your. Party but. The story, here the council rescinded support for THE i seventy seven, project right they they deferred this This panthers Or Tepper sports And entertainment lease agreement on point two. Acres and it was so funny, too because Like Renee, johnson who's, whatever she's like council, member and last night she's, like how many square feed is this? Property and the staff for a city staffer is, like it's like ten thousand square, feet that's what they're talking. About and it would just become part of the larger, project city owned, land part of a lease agreement for a larger chunk for this larger. Project and so instead of calling it point two, acres she keeps referring to, it this. Is ten thousand square. Feet because it's a bigger, number you. Know it's, like, oh we have to we have to take this very very. Seriously what are the community? Benefits what can we do with ten thousand square? Feet you? Know and then there's Council member J. D. Massuerarius that's how he prefers you pronounce his. Name you gotta do it like. THAT i think there's a whole story in The observer a couple of weeks. Ago so he, says WHAT i firmly think we are seeing is a council that is asking harder questions about public, benefit community impact and who is actually at the table before major decisions are. Made this a first term. Guy who may or may not have committed immigration fraud in order to become A naturali. Citizen but, anyway he, says it is democracy. Maturing growth is, welcome business is, welcome but the days of assuming what's good for business is good for everybody are. Over this is THE dsa. Position that's WHY i say Council member J. D masuerrarias he is EITHER dsa or he IS dsa. Adjacent, OKAY i don't know which it. IS i don't know if any reporter is going to ask. Him i've tried to ask him some questions On, twitter but he ignores me for some. REASON i don't know. Why the the divide activists versus. Business, okay this has been going on for a. While there used to be an old joke here In charlotte that there are three political, parties The, democrats The republicans in The chamber and The chambers the most. Powerful and that has been tested over the last decade By, lyles maybe the last connection to that old. Guard But i'm sure things will be. Fine i'm sure it'll work out. Fine all. Right over a year now you've heard me talking About create A. Video great local company in Mint hill that has helped more than two million families preserve their memories by turning old, PHOTOS vhs, tapes film reels and slides into lasting. Keepsakes now creative videos helping families and groups create brand new memories while they're. Traveling introducing group travel videos perfect for family, reunions church mission, trips group, vacations destination, weddings student, trips senior adult, groups sports, TEAMS i, mean, really any gathering of people that you care about that's traveling. 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Can you can Email Katie katie at group travel videos dot. Com group travel videos from old memories to new, adventures preserving life's moments for a. Lifetime all, Right so this comment in The Charlotte observer by a newly Elected Charlotte City council, MEMBER. J. D musuera's, Sorry masuera. Arius he says it Is. Democrat see maturing growth is, welcome business is. Welcome but the days of assuming what's good for business is good for everybody are. Over, okay talking. With nick during the, break Producer nick during the, break AND i trace this back to the election Of Anthony. Fox Anthony, fox who then went on to be The obama Administration Transportation secretary or whatever it. Was fox was running against a guy Named John, lassiter A Republican Fox Democrat Lassater. Republican John lassiter had won at large races for school board and then city council and then he runs for mayor and he's running Against Anthony. Fox and there was this one moment at a chamber event where they hosted a forum with both of the candidates and the head of the chamber introduces them to the business community for this you, know it wasn't really a, debate, right but it was a forum meet the, candidate form. Whatever and the chamber president introduces both of these, guys and he says that they're both good, candidates, right we have equally qualified. Candidates, right there's no real differences between these two guys, Basically and that kind of ticked Off John lassiter because there was a lot of difference between these two. Candidates they have a different philosophy of, Governing, Okay lassador Versus. Fox fox was the one that pushed through because he had A democrat majority On council the streetcar, project despite the fact that the streetcar project was not to be funded with the one or the half sent sales. Tax whatever it was at the. Time i'm now losing. Track but he did it in order to bribe voters In East charlotte who were complaining that the transportation plan called for bus rapid transit Down Independence boulevard and not a light rail. Line they wanted a train and they didn't like not having a, train and so they kept coming down To council and they, kept you, know screaming and yelling about. It and What pat McCrory and the transportation Is Charlotte area transit. People what they kept saying was, like we Can't it's like the cost is too, expensive we can't get the federal, Funds the ridership doesn't justify. Whatever they had all these reasons why bus rapid transit will be that. Mode, so in order to position himself in a different way Than, Lassiter fox promises the street car and then pushes it through with All democrats. Support that right, there that was to, me that was the. Shift and from that point forward you had the arena. VOTES i, mean, yes all of that, stuff all the bad blood over the arena vote that voters voted down a new arena in, uptown and then city council went along and did it. Anyway they built all of the projects in Center city that voters had rejected because the business community wanted it and the city leaders wanted. It that was The charlotte. Way and so on the one, HAND i get it that there are people who are Like Councilmember Masuera arias who says business is. Welcome but the days of assuming what's good for business is good for everybody are. OVER i, understand like through, That, LENS i don't think that's what he's actually referring. To is that ancient history of twenty years ago That i'm telling. You what he's talking about is more of public control over your, business what business the public or the community thinks you should be engaged, in maybe like how much money you should be paying for the ability for the privilege of doing business In. Charlotte that if it's good for your business that may not be good for. Everybody this is the old, axiom, right feeding the alligator in the hope that it eats you. Last and this is what The chamber used to do with spreading money around Between democrats And, republicans judging them all to be equal if they were pro business. Enough and the problem is The republicans have left because as the government got bigger and bigger in the projects kept getting more and more, expensive and voters kept saying no to, projects and the city leaders did them, anyway the taxes kept going. Up people, Left The republicans would say, Left democrats come. In and so now business, folks you're the last ones on the. Menu that's how that. Happens, now the selection Of Robert harrington may very well be the sort of last connection to the old quote Unquote charlotte. Way he, says trying to balance, historically trying to balance the good that comes from a vibrant business sector with making sure that other voices are in the. Room the question has been a, challenge an. Issue we need to be practical and understand our, situation but then we've got to go. Forward see SO i don't know what any of that means that does not give me any indication as to where. He's going to land on. This don't. Know we'll find out in EIGHTEEN i mean over the next eighteen. Months know if he's going to be in any kind of position to direct. Anything he's just a placeholder until the next. Election he says he would do his best to get disparate, voices including activists to business, leaders try to get them all on the same. Page see here's the. Problem socialists don't want to be on the same page as. Businesses it's not part of their. Ideology last little bit, Here i'll get to some of your. Messages in The Charlotte observer story By Nick, Sullivan charlotte mayor finalists on who holds power in city, hall activists or. Business so this is the. Fight it's happening inside The Democrat. Party so it's obscured to anybody who's not part of The Democratic, Party, okay which is most. People we are mostly. Unaffiliateds But sullivan, writes When Mayor viylyles announced she would resi design this, summer Councilwoman Kimberly owens Told The observer she Thinks lyles's legacy is one of collaboration with corporate, interests having single handedly done more to advance public private partnerships than any other person at the. City that has been positive in some, ways but you could smell the butt coming right. Wo but her conciliatory relationship with quote big money interests has also contributed to a feeling that developers have too much. Power in city. Politics owen, says by the, way this, like this is what people have said for thirty. Years, okay everybody says this because developers come, in they ask for, approvals they get, approvals they get to build, stuff and they donate money to the politician's, campaigns and so everyone says they have too much. Power But owens also thinks there's a false dichotomy that either the people or big business run the. City she hopes the next mayor will look at issues from economic and human lenses and talk to business leaders less in private settings and more in public forums so they can be browbeaten BY. Dsa that's just business leaders be aware of where we are as a. City, meanwhile council member J. D Masuerra arius is looking for a new mayor who can strike a balance between the business sector and working. Families, quote are they willing to shift the pendulum back to the, Middle, so he thinks it's so far to the pro development side to sustain the relationships we have with the business, community but also have a close here on the ground of what the people need as. Well he, buddy do you know why the working class and the working? Poor do you know why they have a very difficult time affording stuff In? Charlotte do you know why cost of living is? High it's your. Policies the more government, does the more expensive it is to live. Here that's, you, guys that's you. Guys Council Member Malcolm, graham who is definitely more on the pro business, side he said he has noticed a shift in local governance in recent years with more citizen. Participation he sees the intra mayor's role as mostly internally focused on what somebody who can run smooth, meetings disclose information quickly and rebuild the culture within city. Government NOW i Think malcolm is going to run for mayor as. Well we'll, see. Uh from the text line nine to eight zero numbers said how in the h double hockey sticks CAN theaacp legally dictate or have any say so in who becomes. Mayor if it was white people making these, demands all hell would break. Loose. Yeah we covered this when THE naacp chapter president here In charlotte said that the mayor the interim mayor appointment has to be black because the current mayor's, black and all five of the finalists were. Black so they got what they were. DEMANDING i don't know if that was intentional or, not but that's what those were the five. Finalists THE naacp cannot legally, dictate they cannot force the council to make an appointment of a person based on their. Race they can they. Are legally protected in expressing their opinion on the, matter which they. Did and, yes if it was any other racial group do. WELL i shouldn't say any other racial. Group if it was one other racial group doing, it, YES i believe all hell would break. Loose, sure but it's different when democrats do. It let me see here to. Do Regarding violisles and her parent, decline that is evident in the meetings over the last year or. So sounds like she has signs of. Dementia said because my mother and grandmother dealt with this horrible disease and hearing loss is associated with memory. Loss john, says if she moves in with her son In, huntersville her tax rate will be. Nothing that's, TRUE i Guess john says there is no d In smudgie or in calendar. CALENDER i wonder if this is from the Good jeff who, SAYS i wonder If Smoothie MITCHELL i think that should Be smudgie wouldn't commit to not running for reelection therefore got passed. Over that was a, requirement, Right, well they could not make it a legal. Requirement But smudgie did say he would not run for the office in twenty. Seven but that's the, thing it's not legally. Binding so all of the candidates all said that they're not going to run for, mayor but there isn't anything that would legally prohibit them from doing, so just their. Assurances david, said Poor, smudgie he didn't even make the final. Ballot he, did, Well, no he did. Not WHEN i Heard pat McCrory Praise Harold, COGDELL i knew he would. Be cogdeal got along pretty well with some of His republican, counterparts his colleagues when he was on city. Council but he, ALSO i mean he butted heads with them, TOO i remember. That but, yeah he and apparently he was the preferred candidate for The Black Political, Caucus SO i was kind of surprised he did not do. Better but maybe because THE naacp wanted, well they Wanted cogdill, too SO i don't, know maybe there was some split there going. On not. Sure The democrats don't include me in their discussions on this. STUFF i think a lot of them just wanted somebody who wasn't going to make, waves it was going to be able to run the meetings, right And harrington seems to fit the. Bill sean, Says i'm sure he's a nice enough, guy But i'm so glad we don't have a mayor's. Smudgie. Yeah, well and you, know because it's spelled s M U g g I. E you know that any national story Involving charlotte's mayor would involve mispronunciations of his, name and the whole country would think that our mayor's nickname is. Smuggy you. Know safe to say the act of his crowd are not concerned about rising crime overall In, Charlotte, no they are. Not that's From Allen oscar asks how active is the new mayor in THE. NAACP i don't. Know i've not seen anything in his resume that indicates that If Charlotte democrats could just try to be More Bill clinton THAN, dsa get tough on, crime stop with THE dei try to make the city better for, everybody no matter your, race the city would be so much better and the poor minorities would all be better. Off, Yeah, like this is the problem in These democrat controlled jurisdictions is that they don't apparently know actually how to. Govern it's like there's a reason, why like all of these cities have the same problems throughout the entire. Country it's their governing. Philosophy AND i would submit part of that is a level of corruption because when you have a single party in, control everything is. Internal you, know. Can you name anything that she has done while she has been in office the? Mayor, well, YEAH i mean she's been in office for five terms and you may not like the things that she has, done but like she is credited with various. Things you've got like for the most recent was the one sent sales tax for. Transit so and that's why she said she wanted to run to make sure that got passed and everything. Else so you, know she has kept the business community in a you, know non hostile relationship with local. Government. See and that's really my concern is what happens post twenty twenty. Seven if you end up with The Democrat party drifting further and further and further to the, left adopting more and more of THE dsa, ideology and you end up with then a mayor and a council that is hostile to, business that spells very bad things for the city long. Term so that's my concern about where this. GOES i could be. Wrong top down CONTROLLING cms superintendent criticism spreads into public view is the headline of The Charlotte. Observer tonight's actually going to be the first meeting at The Charlotte Mecklenburg School board without the, superintendent who has been placed on administrative leave paid, leave pending an investigation into what it described the school board describes as matters involving administrative and operational. Oversight, teachers parents and education advocates are calling for transparency and stability After Charlotte Mecklenburg School Superintendent Crystal hill was placed on leave for the. Children the board has released few details about the, allegations leaving the public searching for answers for the. Children while reactions to the board's decision, varied interviews with educators and community leaders revealed common concerns About hill's leadership, style the frequent turnover within the, district and the need for answers about what prompted the investigation for the. Children board Chair Stephanie snead Told The Charlotte observer that the decision was driven by allegations that rose to a level requiring. Further review for the. Children an outside law, Firm brooks pierso thankfully To The Charlotte Observer's norah O'Neill that we now have at least who's doing the the probe, right who's going to do the, investigation and It's Brooks, pierce a law, firm Which sneed said is expected to take at least several. Weeks it's unclear how much the investigation will, cost according To, snead but the firm is being paid hourly for the. Children The observer has submitted a series of public records requests stemming from the, decision including the law Firm's contract for The. Children steve. Or, reskovich a middle school teacher with more than thirty years working IN cms for The, children said he described her leadership style that discouraged feedback and sidelined teachers from decision. Making Quote she's very top down. Controlling he. Said she does not like, interaction especially with teachers who give her their honest. Opinions it's her way or the highway kind of a thing for the. Children, sorry it's just knee jerk reaction there THAT i say, that because anytime you talk about anything. School related like, this it's always for the. Children the. Former school board, Member Melissa easley went on to The facebook and she is a FORMER cms. Teacher she served on the school board until last, year and she wrote that she Believed hill presided over a quote culture of fear in which, teachers, principles and district leaders became increasingly reluctant to speak openly for the. Children she Accused hill of weakening teacher advisory, groups relying too heavily on, consultants and overseeing frequent leadership reorganizations that contributed to the loss of experienced educators and. Administrators one, consultant Contract drew particular criticism after the district approved an extension that paid a consulting firm named S Y. D kimyl like Sid kimmel Sid. Kimmel it's an. ACRONYM i don't know if it's supposed to stand for. Something they're all caps, there, People that's WHY i spelled it. Out it's an. ACRONYM Sid kimmel gave this firm hundreds of thousands of dollars to coach school. Leaders some board members expressed concerns about family ties between the firm's leader and a close advisor to the. Superintendent so one of her, ADVISORS i think it was his wife that RAN Sid kimmel or something like. That we covered it at the. Time it's been a while So i'm drawn a blank on the exact nature of the familial ties. There but, yeah that's. Concerning that's and then when the school board member started asking about, it then all of a, sudden this guy shows up at some campaign events and they're targeting these members that we're asking questions like, that that's not, Good like you work for the school. Board superintendent works for the school. Board Melissa easily on The facebook also argued that constructive criticism was too often viewed as, disloyalty and that many employees felt safer remaining silent than challenging her. Decisions, QUOTE i won't miss The oh, SORRY i was gonna say, condensation but that's something. ELSE i won't miss the. CONDESCENSION i won't miss the. Dismissiveness she. WROTE i did not support and will never support a leadership era that made fear a management. Strategy, now the school board Chair snead stressed that the investigation is intended to determine the facts rather than reach any predetermined conclusion or spur any kind of negative employment. Action they were just getting the facts, here, people just a fact finding mission before we cut a massive check to show where the Door No i'm, kidding she didn't say that last, part BUT i MEAN i can kind of see where this is, going, Right i'm thinking six, figures like three hundred thousand roughly that's gonna be. Now to, me the real question is going to be does the school board tell us what the amount of the check? Is if they cut or a, check are they going to tell us how much it's? For or are we gonna have to file a bunch Of foyer? Requests in order to get this information right for the. Children all, right that'll do it for this. Episode thank you so much for. LISTENING i could not do the show without your support and the support of the businesses that advertise on the, podcast so if you'd, like please support them too and tell them you heard it. Here you can also become a patron at My patreon page or go to thepetecleanershow dot. Com, again thank you so much for, listening and don't break anything While i'm. Gone